


Do not leave me there on my own

by meanie_nim



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Drama, Fluff, Military, MinWon - Freeform, No Smut, Slow Burn, Wonwoo - Freeform, curse words, long chaptered, meanie, mingyu - Freeform, nonAU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-12 09:00:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17464487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meanie_nim/pseuds/meanie_nim
Summary: Wonwoo has to fill in for his brother in the army. And Mingyu? Of course he can´t be too long without his hyung.Had actually published this story on another page, but wanted to change a few things and here we are.





	1. Call up in the military

So now it was actually happening. The members stood in the waiting area of the airport, their faces spoke volumes. Mingyu stood in the middle, his eyes lowered, his shoulders bent forward. His head hurt, he hadn't slept much in the last few nights and his thoughts kept turning around one thing. Actually only about one person. Wonwoo. 

The news hit everyone as an unexpected shock - probably Wonwoo's biggest shock ever. His brother had to stop his military service due to health reasons. Although this should normally have no consequences, it was different this time. A consequence for Wonwoo, a big loss for Seventeen and an almost unbearable situation for Mingyu. Only four weeks had passed since the news had come that shocked the entire group.

 

-

__

_Seventeen were rehearsing for their next comeback when Wonwoo was pulled out of the practice room by a staff member for an important call. Mingyu watched his friend leaving the room, but didn't think much about it. Maybe an advertising request or an assignment for a photo shoot, he thought. These requests had increased in the past weeks._

_"I'm sorry, hyung," Chan apologized as he ran against Mingyu in the last sequence of moves. "I'm still confusing the last steps," he complained about himself and Mingyu smirked._

_"You'll get it soon enough, boy." He wiped the sweat off his forehead and while pausing he took a sip of water from his bottle as the door opened and Wonwoo came back in. Wordlessly, he went to the bench at the back of the room. He rummaged there in his jacket, his back turned to the members. Mingyu took another sip from his bottle and looked briefly over at his friend, who still seemed to be looking for something. As the others prepared for the next song, Wonwoo still stood in front of the bench._

_"Hyung, are you coming?" Mingyu asked as the music started. Wonwoo did not react. "We all don't feel like it either, but hiding there and turning away doesn't make you invisible, Wonu." Mingyu chuckled as he walked towards his friend._

_"What's wrong?" he asked and grabbed his arm. Wonwoo shook Mingyu's hand off without facing him. He took his jacket and left the room without a word._

_"What just happened?" Seungcheol asked when Wonwoo slammed the door behind himself._

_"It must have something to do with the call," Minghao replied, while Mingyu wasted no time and set off to find his friend._

_"I'll take care of him." While he was leaving the room, he heard Seungcheol start lecturing about unprofessionalism._

_Mingyu walked past one of the co-workers who was pointing to the laundry room behind her. "He rushed in there without saying a word," she said to Mingyu, assuming that he was looking for his hyung. "He had a rather shocked expression on his face," she added as Mingyu approached the laundry room. As he tried to open the door, he realized it was locked. He turned briefly to the staff member who shrugged her shoulders._

_"Hyung?" He knocked on the door for a moment. "Are you in there?" There was no answer, making Mingyu nervous. Wonwoo wasn't the guy who showed such a reaction, no matter what the problem was. "Hyung, I know you're in there. Please open the door." Still no reaction. "Wonwoo, seriously. Open up." His tone became more impatient._

_"Just go.“ Mingyu finally heard it whimper through the door. "I want to be alone.“ Wonwoo's voice sounded depressed. Mingyu was worried._

_"I can't go," he said gently. He knocked again. "Please open the door." The staff had left in the meantime. When Wonwoo didn't react again, Mingyu leaned his forehead against the locked door and exhaled deeply. "Hyung, please."_

_"Mingyu, just leave me alone," he heard Wonwoo whine with a broken voice. Even if the closed door was between them, Mingyu could sense that his friend who was standing or sitting in that laundry room was completely shattered. A bad feeling nestled in his stomach and got worse and worse._

_"I can't leave you alone. Please open the door.“ He knocked again, his forehead still leaning against the hard wood. " Hyung," he almost whined._

_"Mingyu, I don't want to talk to you now. Go away!" This time Wonwoo shouted louder and Mingyu took a step back. With any other member he would now have turned around and returned to the practice room - out of respect and kindness. But he couldn't do it at that moment. His uneasy feeling forced him to want to see his friend right now and confront him._

_"I can't, Wonwoo. Please let me in," he whispered. When his friend didn't answer, Mingyu knocked on the door again. This time louder and longer. He was a pain in the ass, he knew that himself. But he had no choice._

_"You're driving me crazy," Wonwoo exclaimed, but finally turned the key and yanked the door open. "Can't you leave me alone when I ask you to?" he fired at him, his eyes full of tears. "I ask you for one thing. Why can't you do me this favor? Why are you bothering me for so long?“_

_He stopped yelling when Mingyu wrapped his arms around him without a word and pulled him into a tight hug. Wonwoo at first seemed to want to break loose, but gave up quickly. "Why are you so clingy?“ he murmured and pressed his body closer to his friend. "Never lock yourself in again," was the only thing Mingyu replied._

-

"Come on, please don't look so sad." Wonwoo dropped his hand luggage on the floor and looked from one gloomy face to the next. He had just checked in and now joined his members who were standing in front of a vending machine. His flight would start in an hour. 

His eyes fell on Mingyu, who hadn't said a word since they arrived at the airport. Wonwoo knew that his younger friend was distressed, and that killed him. He had come to terms with his upcoming time at the military camp and tried to handle it as best he could. But while he was looking at Mingyu, his heart broke. It reminded him of the last concert that Seventeen had given to bid him farewell.

 

-

_"Wahh, isn't it incredible that we're giving a private concert with only 500 fans?" Hoshi asked into the microphone. "This reminds me of the beginnings of Seventeen." Seungkwan laughed._

_"Hoshi, I can't remember that we had 500 fans at our first shows. Where was I?" The fans laughed, Wonwoo wanted to cry. He didn't know whose idea it was, but suddenly a surprise concert of Seventeen was announced spontaneously in a hall in Seoul._

_Wonwoo knew immediately that it was a kind of farewell for him and that caused him stomach ache for days. Wonwoo was not a man for emotional words and was unwilling to express his feelings. Now they were on stage and after many songs Hoshi entertained the fans._

_"Okay, okay, okay, what song do you want to hear next?" he asked Carats. Wonwoo glanced at Mingyu who was tugging at his sleeve. He took a step back and walked over to him while Seungkwan and Hoshi threw themselves into a rap battle. He stood next to his tall friend and leaned slightly against his side._

_Mingyu gave Wonwoo a quick look and a smile scurried over his lips. His eyes looked tired and Wonwoo knew he couldn't look better himself. For a short moment he wanted to put his head on Mingyu's shoulder, but he did not go for that idea. He knew what the reaction would be from the fans, and he wanted to avoid it._

_The next songs were performed as usual - Seventeen knew the choreographies inside out. As they lined up for the last bend, Wonwoo's heart began to bang in his chest. He knew he had to tell his fans the news now, and he was afraid of what it would do to him. Vernon stood next to him and put his arm around his shoulder. Wonwoo was the first to speak._

_" You had a good time, didn't you? You must be really lucky you got one of the 500 tickets." The fans cheered loudly. Wonwoo swallowed. "Dear Carats, there's something serious I have to tell you today." From one second to the next it became absolutely quiet in the hall. The fans felt that something important was coming. "Ahh, how can I say that?" Wonwoo swallowed hard, his eyes got wet. "I don't know what to say."_

_From the corner of his eye he watched Mingyu leave his place next to Hoshi and approach him from behind. I say it the way it is," he breathed deeply while Mingyu stood behind him. "I will join the army in two weeks. There are private reasons and no alternative option. I would-" He stopped in the middle of the sentence to prevent a sob._

_A murmur went through the hall. He cleared his throat and suddenly felt Mingyu´s hand on his back. Wonwoo didn't understand why it was so difficult for him to pass this message on to his fans. He had come to terms with the situation and yet he could hardly talk any further. "I'm sorry to disappoint you," he continued in a wobbly voice._

_"You don't disappoint anyone," Mingyu suddenly jumped in and stood next to Wonwoo as he spoke into his microphone. He put his arm around his hyung and looked at him. Some fans started screaming. "Stop apologizing," he continued seriously._

_"Ah, thank you Mingyu-ah," Wonwoo replied and smiled briefly. Mingyu looked at him, took his arm away and grabbed his friend's hand._

_"We will miss you very much," he said and interlaced their fingers._

_"Don't worry, I will definitely come back after the year," Wonwoo said to his fans and squeezed Mingyu's hand at one point._

_"I'll miss you," Mingyu suddenly mumbled into his microphone and Wonwoo noticed tears in his eyes. The fans started screaming, some were crying._

_"Okay, let's re-animate this sad event," Hoshi started and substituted Wonwoo. Mingyu still held Wonwoo's hand and stared at the floor. Wonwoo glanced at his friend and the sight broke his heart. He nudged him into his side. When he looked up, a tear rolled down his cheek._

_"Stop it," he whispered. He let go of Mingyu's hand and put his arm around his shoulder. "You damage our hip-hop image," he added jokingly, making Mingyu smile. The latter leaned his head against the shoulder of his hyung and both ignored the screeching and shouting of the fans._

_"They'll miss us both together," he muttered and waved to the fans._

_"I'll miss you too," whispered Wonwoo, leaning his head against Mingyus._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like it? I hope so. Stay tuned-- for the next chapter is coming very soon.


	2. First days

_"Flight K451 will begin boarding in 30 minutes."_ Mingyu was pulled out of his thoughts when the voice announcement sounded over the speakers. His heart made a leap and after staring at the ground for a while, he looked up and was greeted with Wonwoo's smile.

"I think I have to go now," he said, not taking his gaze away from Mingyu. The latter groaned inwardly and as Seunkwan was already wrapping his arms around Wonwoo to say his goodbye, Mingyu struggled with his tears. He had had to promise Wonwoo not to cry at the airport. He wanted to keep his word and not make it harder for his hyung.

"I'll miss you, buddy," he heard Chan say and Wonwoo put his arms around the youngest member. Mingyu's heart beat like crazy and when it was Junhui's turn to say goodbye to Wonwoo, Mingyu took a step forward, grabbed his hyungs arm and pulled him with him. "Excuse us for a moment," he muttered, pulling Wonwoo away from the group that looked sadly behind them. 

When they both stopped in front of a jewelry store, Wonwoo sighed. "Gyu, you promised," he muttered as Mingyu looked at him, a tear was already running down his cheek and there was nothing he could do about it. "Who will protect you?" Mingyu mumbled and wiped over his wet cheek.

"Gyu," Wonwoo released in a softer tone and approached his friend. "Who will take care of you if something goes wrong?" Mingyu went on and let out all his thoughts that had been circling in his head for days. "Who will help you if you fall or someone attacks you?" New tears were already gathering in his eyes.

"Gyu." Wonwoo closed his eyes for a second.

"Who tells me that you are well and nothing will happen to you? Who can promise me that?" Mingyu looked Wonwoo straight in the face and he felt terrible. The only thing he wanted to do at that moment was to take Wonwoo's hand, get out of that stupid airport, get in the car and drive away.

"Gyu, stop it." Wonwoo's voice was soft and he reached for Mingyu's arm. The latter stared at his shoes, another tear fell to the ground next to him. "Who will be there for me?" he whispered and grimaced. Wonwoo moved closer so that the tips of their shoes touched and carefully grabbed Mingyu's chin. When Mingyu looked into his hyung's face, his heart broke. Tears appeared in Wonwoo's eyes and he noted how his friend was trying really hard not to let them fall.

"I hate you." Wonwoo let out and leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching. "Why do you make it so hard for me? You know there is no other choice." Mingyu snorted and nodded, Wonwoo's hand was still on his chin. "You're such a puppy. You've been looking at me so upset for days, expecting me to just accept it as if it were nothing?“ Mingyu nodded again, feeling guilty and grabbing Wonwoo's hand to remove it from his chin.

"I'm sorry, Wo-" Wonwoo wouldn't let him finish. "You are so stupid. Why are you so affectionate? Why do you have such a huge heart that is now completely broken? Why do I feel guilty to leave you alone?" Wonwoo whispered and a tear rolled down his cheek. Mingyu began to whimper.

"Hyuuuuuung," he whined and then wrapped his arms around his friend. Wonwoo pressed himself against him and hid his face in Mingyu´s neck. "I really hate you," he mumbled and Mingyu pressed his hyung even closer to himself.

"If you don't take care of yourself, I'll take the next plane and personally hand you over to the enemy," Mingyu let out and got a muffled laugh in response. Wonwoo pulled away from the embrace and wiped over his cheek.

"But don't screw up my rap parts." Mingyu sulked and nudged his finger into Wonwoo's cheek. "Now I have to take the Wondoll with me everywhere again." Wonwoo smiled. "That will make him happy. I bet it started to be lonely for him, always sitting on your bed." Mingyu shook his head in surprise. 

"I don't have him in bed with me. What are you saying?“ Wonwoo grinned, ignoring the question and leaning forward, his face only inches away from Mingyu´s. "I really have to go now. Take care of yourself and-" Mingyu nodded and interrupted his hyung with a kiss on his cheek.

"With the slightest danger I hear of, I get on the next plane and that's no joke," he let out and embraced his friend again, squeezing him tightly before Wonwoo turned away and returned to the group. 

"You should just take him with you," Seungcheol laughed when Wonwoo came back to them, Mingyu pouting in tow. "He'll follow you like a puppy and no one will question that." Wonwoo turned around and looked at his tall friend."I won't have time there to save his ass from his clumsiness. He would probably accidentally kill himself somehow on the first day." The members smiled and Mingyu stood behind Wonwoo and put his arms around his waist.

"Who says it will not happen here?" he muttered and put his chin on the top of his friend's head. Wonwoo swallowed and already missed the closeness of his big puppy. Mingyu pushed him closer and sighed, sulking.

"You two are really something exceptional. There's not even a definition for what you are," Seungcheol exclaimed and put an arm around Mingyu´s shoulder. "You have to let him go now, or he'll miss his flight, Gyu." Wonwoo smiled as he felt Mingyu shake his head above him and tightened his grip around his friend.

"That's probably his plan all the time," Chan joked and the others laughed. Wonwoo put his hand on Mingyu's arm and squeezed it. "I have to go, Mingyu," he said quietly. 

"Mingyu, do we have to tear you away from Wonwoo or can you manage to let him go on your own?" Jeonghan asked and Mingyu sulked, kissing the top of Wonwoo's head before taking his arms away. "You are bad friends,“ he muttered and stepped back. Wonwoo took his hand luggage from the floor and waved into the round one more time. "I'll miss you guys." When he turned around, Mingyu was standing in his way. "And I will miss you, you big puppy.“ Mingyu pulled Wonwoo firmly against himself one more time and when he let him go, Wonwoo gave him a quick peck on the forehead. Surprised by the gesture, Mingyu took a step back, and before he could say anything, Wonwoo turned away and hurried to the boarding. Wonwoo had pinched and bit before, but he had never kissed him ever.

-

"Fresh meat, huh," a mid-sized, bald-headed guy greeted Wonwoo as he entered his temporary new home. He seemed several years older than Wonwoo. "Wait a minute. I know you," he suddenly said and took a step towards him. Wonwoo glanced at the ground and tightened the grip on the handle of his suitcase. The bald man laughed for a moment, but stepped aside so that Wonwoo could walk over to his bed. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Wonwoo placed his suitcase next to his sleeping rack, sat down on the blank mattress and looked up at his odd new room neighbor.

"What won't you tell anyone?" he asked tiredly. The last days were stressful and the farewells as well as the flight had not reduced the stress. The only thing he wanted to do was to lie down in this uncomfortable new bed, pull the blanket up to his chin and whine about his situation. "I know you. I know exactly who you are, but I wonder how is that possible? Isn't there a separate boot camp for idols?" The bald head laughed briefly and sat down on a stool that stood next to Wonwoo´s bed, too close for his taste. 

Wonwoo cursed inwardly. It was his first day and he was recognized by his room neighbor and was already expecting how he would mock him because he was an idol. When he thought about how to tell the bald man that he wasn't who he thought he was, the guy stood up again. "Don't worry. I don't want anything bad. I like Seventeen. You make good music. Especially your raps are great. Your hip hop unit is one of the best units of all time. But I like you the most." 

The shocked expression on Wonwoo's face seemed to be obvious, because the guy started to laugh. "I'm not a fan. I won't worship you or anything unless you want me to." He winked and Wonwoo wanted to throw up. "I'm just saying that I like your music and your looks." Wonwoo took a deep breath. It was an awkward embarrassing situation and he didn't know what to say. 

"By the way, you should start changing. Sergeant Tae hates late arrivals," his bed neighbor continued and opened the door. _Thank God he doesn´t stay to watch me changing._ Wonwoo leaned back on his mattress and dropped his head on the hard bed. A bad feeling appeared in his stomach area, but it could also be that the feeling had never been gone. From the moment he had got the call, that feeling had settled in his stomach and with every day that passed and every farewell and every last hug and every sad face, it got worse and worse.

-

"So, tell me about yourself." It was the third day at camp and lunch break. The first two warm-up laps with Seargant Tae had gone surprisingly well. The newcomers were very cautiously taken into the training phase -apparently there were just two of them who joined recently. Wonwoo didn't have much muscles, but he was agile and could easily pull himself up on things and hanging himself on the pole for a while. He had made an impression, but he knew it would be more difficult in the next few weeks. Much more difficult. 

His room neighbor alias the bald head was hanging on his heel since the first meeting. Wonwoo could hardly sleep for the last two nights, mainly because he was afraid of what his neighbour might do. He wasn't sure whether he was just mocking him or had a serious crush on him. "Tell me something about Seventeen," the latter suddenly asked who had to sit right across from him, of course.  _So much for not being a fan_ , Wonwoo thought and took a sip of his water.

"What do you want to hear, T.?" His room neighbor grinned and shoved his face closer to Wonwoo, who leaned back impulsively. "Tell me something that nobody knows. What happens in private? What's Seventeen like when the cameras are off?" Wonwoo shook his head. How foolish this bald guy was. He had only known him for two days, couldn't stand him and now he really expected Wonwoo to reveal secrets about his members? "And? Come on. The secrets are safe with me."

Wonwoo looked at him briefly and nodded sarcastically. "Yeah, that won't happen. Sorry, dude. Code of honor." T. nodded and patted Wonwoo´s shoulder. "That´s alright. I like how you think. You're a cool guy." Wonwoo noticed how T. started to lower his hand to his back and leapt up from his chair. "I-I have to go to the toilet," he dropped out while some other cadets stared at him in surprise. Nobody else seemed to have recognized him as an idol or at least they didn't care.

A shiver ran down Wonwoo's back as he made his way to the toilets. When he pushed open the door, his cell phone rang in his pocket. Video chat request from Mingyu. Wonwoo shook his head and couldn't resist a little smile. After checking that nobody else was inside, he sat down on a closed toilet lid and accepted the video chat. When Mingyu's face appeared on his cell phone, Wonwoo bit his lip. He had only seen his tall friend at the airport a few days ago, but somehow it seemed that at least two weeks had passed.  

"Hyung, I miss you." Wonwoo grinned as Mingyu immediately started whining. "Mingyu-ah, you can't just call me when it suits you. After all, I'm here in the military." Mingyu looked at him with a bored expression on his face. "But you have time now and you answered. So what's the problem?" Wonwoo laughed briefly and then put his hand over his mouth. It wouldn't be a good start if the cadets could hear the new one laughing on the toilet by himself. 

"How are you? How are the others? Are they nice to you? Where do you sleep? Have you already found friends? How is-" Mingyu asked one question after another and Wonwoo didn't know what to answer first. "Yah, that are far too many questions, don't you think?" Mingyu sulked.

"That wasn't even half the questions I wanted to ask you." Wonwoo was sighing over his big puppy. "Gyu, I'm in the toilet during the lunch break. I don't have that much time." Mingyu nodded understandingly. "Then just answer me one question." He paused for a second and leaned closer to his cell phone so that Wonwoo could only see one eye and his nose which made him smile. "Are you happy?" The smile disappeared and Wonwoo gulped because of the seriousness of Mingyu's question. He didn't want Mingyu to worry, so he couldn't tell him that he simply wanted to fly home, that he probably had a scary fanboy as a room neighbor who would chase him in the worst case and that the food tasted poorer than when they were still trainees.

"I'm happy you're calling," he rather replied sincerely and received a big grin from his friend. "That's not an answer to my question, but since you don't have much time, we'll reschedule it for another day," he paused, "don't forget to mail me every day, okay?" Wonwoo took a deep breath and before he could answer, the door to the toilets opened. Frightened, Wonwoo ended Mingyu's video call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am pretty sure that the military life is totally different, but since it´s a fic and my story, I am cool with it :)


	3. Meeting again

"Yah, handsome, are you all right?" Wonwoo flinched when he heard T's voice. He pressed the flush and opened the door. "That was a long session, buddy," the bald guy grinned at him and Wonwoo turned on the water tap. "I haven't gotten used to the food here yet." T. nodded his head and leaned against the wall next to the hand dryer.

"You ignore me. Is there a reason for that?" he suddenly asked and Wonwoo glanced at him. "I'm tired and have to get used to everything here. Please don't hold it against me," he replied and reached for the doorknob, but T. held him back by his arm. "I don't know why you think you have to get out of my way. But I don't want anything bad for you and I'm just trying to be friends with you. As I said before, I'm not a fan and I'm not stalking you, so calm down." His face was dangerously close to Wonwoo as he tightened the grip on his arm.

"Okay," Wonwoo let out, trying to sound confidently and was glad when T. let go of him so he could leave the toilet.

Wonwoo´s heart was pounding as he passed the dining room, opened the door to the outside and stormed to the nearby trees on the area. There he crouched down on the ground behind an embankment and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. Without thinking, he pressed speed dial 1 and Mingyu's number was called. The latter had added the speed-dial button on Wonwoo´s mobile phone himself even before their debut. After the second signal tone he heard a laugh at the other end. "Hyung, first that was rude of you and second, I know you miss me, but already calling after five minutes is-"

"Get me out of here," Wonwoo whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. At the other end it became quiet for a moment. "Wonu", Mingyu breathed audibly -the way he said his name indicated that he was worried. "Gyu, I-I want to leave this place." Mingyu remained silent and apparently waited for Wonwoo to keep talking. "I have a hard bed, I don't like the food here, I'm always cold and I hate this uniform." A sob slipped out and he had to swallow before continuing. "I've a disgusting room neighbor stuck to my ass since I first met him and I-" He couldn't continue his pitiful babbling when Mingyu interrupted him.

"I'm coming." Wonwoo thought he had misunderstood his friend, but Mingyu repeated himself. "I'm coming." Wonwoo shook his head, the gathered tears were pouring out of his eyes. "What do you mean by I'm coming? I am in the military. You can't just come and visit me and-" Mingyu interrupted him again. "I volunteer for duty." Wonwoo forgot to breathe for a moment when Mingyu said that. _No. No._ No, he didn't want that at all.

"No." He could hear Mingyu clicking with his tongue.

"Yes."

"No!“

"Oh yes!" Wonwoo took a deep breath to calm down.

"Gyu, I, I shouldn't have called you, okay. I just haven't really gotten here yet and my feelings have overwhelmed me. I am fine. Stop saying such stupid things and just forget the last couple of moments." His heart was beating fast when Mingyu remained silent. "Gyu?" The silence scared Wonwoo, Mingyu never kept his mouth shut -only when he was sad or was planning something and Wonwoo assumed something very bad. "Gyu, don't even think about it. The other members need you. Seventeen can't do without both of us." Mingyu snorted.

"Sooner or later everyone will be called and we are 13 guys and can't get around the fact that 2 or 3 of us will be gone at the same time." Wonwoo wanted to respond, but had to agree on that with his friend. "That could be the case some time, but neverthelessm I don't want you to come here. You're still too young for all this." Mingyu snorted again.

"You're not even a year older than me, Jeon." _Jeon._ There it was. Mingyu never called him Jeon, only if he did not agree with him and would not let himself be convinced either. "Mingyu, no!" Wonwoo stood up and supported himself at a tree. Suddenly he felt nauseous. "See you soon. Hang on till I get there." Before Wonwoo knew what had happened, Mingyu simply hung up.

"That just didn't really happen." Wonwoo mumbled and closed his eyes, his heart thumping. He felt really dizzy and didn't know if it was because of his hunger or the fact that Mingyu wanted to follow him here. His cell phone was vibrating. A message from Mingyu. _Sorry I hung up on you, but I really don't have time to listen to your excuses._ Wonwoo sighed and put his fingers on his phone to start typing back when another message popped up. _Hyung, I had packed my bags one day after seeing you cry in the laundry room. I just waited for a moment until I have a good reason to fly after you._

Wonwoo shook his head, new tears were forming in his eyes. How could his friend be so stupid? Another message appeared.  _You say: Seventeen needs me. But you need me more._ Wonwoo closed his eyes and held his cell phone against his chest. He didn't want Mingyu here. But at the same time he wanted him more than anyone else by his side. But he didn't want Mingyu to start his military service now. Even though he was only there for the third day, he knew the next months would be hard and exhausting and dangerous and unpleasant. He really didn´t want Mingyu there.

"Here you are, what are you doing behind the trees?" Wonwoo almost dropped his phone while turning to the side, facing his room neighbor. No, he seriously didn't want  Mingyu to come. A frown came over his lips as T. stared at him with a disgusting grin. "Come, I'll show you the training room." He didn't want Mingyu next to that bald guy. „So much for not being a fanboy huh?“ He put his cell phone in his pocket and followed his room neighbor at a safe distance. If Mingyu really would come and they really let him come here, Wonwoo would do anything to keep T. away from him. "Who were you speaking on the phone with?" T. shouted to him over his shoulder. Wonwoo growled. _If you touch him only once, I'll kill you._

 

-

Everything proceeded so fast that Mingyu hardly knew what was happening to him and soon he was already sitting on a bus from the airport to the camp. Almost four weeks had passed since Wonwoo had called him completely upset and his heart was broken in two. After that Mingyu only acted. He signed up, passed the tests, informed his family and Seventeen, wrote a farewell letter to the fans and was now less than 50 kilometers from the marine station in Japan. 

To his surprise, his members had reacted quite relaxed to his announcement. Of course, they were sad to have to let two of them go, but they didn't seem particularly surprised when Mingyu had given them the news during lunch time some day. He had to promise Seungcheol that he would not cuddle Wonwoo in front of the other cadets. And Hansol gave him the hint not to appear all soft, but to act as a tough guy so that the others would quickly accept him. 

Mingyu leaned his head against the dirty window of the bus. He had hardly thought about how tough and exhausting the next few months could be. He was so obsessed with getting to Wonwoo in any way without worrying about the whole army thing.  _I can be tough. At least I can pretend._ The bus drove over a pothole and Mingyu hit his head against the window. _Funny._ He rubbed his temple and closed his eyes. He hadn't talked to Wonwo since the phone call -only communicated with him via Whats App. He hadn´t wanted to give Wonwoo the chance to dissuade him from his plan. He couldn't have done it anyway, but Mingyu hadn´t want Wonwoo to waste his energy unnecessarily. So with a bad conscience he had repeatedly blocked the calls of his hyung. Of course Wonwoo himself hadn´t liked that at all and kept writing him that he didn't want to see him there and also made the members crazy with his messages. 

When the bus stopped twenty minutes later, Mingyu felt a slight excitement rising in him. He couldn't tell if it was because he didn't know what to expect or because it was the joy of seeing his friend again after almost two months without him. After there was hardly any air to breathe in the unconditioned bus, Mingyu awaited a cool breeze as he got out of the vehicle late in the evening. He threw his big bag over his shoulder and could spot a small cabin that seemed to be the entrance to the camp. Two soldiers guarded the gate and Mingyu pulled his report out of his pocket.

 _Let's go._ After registrationm a cadet named Pao led him to one of the many small houses and knocked on the door. Mingyu knew he wouldn't find Wonwoo there, as the latter had spoken of a creepy room neighbor, so he had no space left. Mingyu wanted to deal with this crazy guy later anyway. But first he wanted to find his hyung. A short man opened the door to his new home. He seemed to be only a few years older than Mingyu and looked at him from bottom to top.

"Really?" he asked Pao, who had accompanied Mingyu to his new cottage. "I'm not playing his babysitter," the black-haired guy and probably new roommate continued, without paying any attention to Mingyu. "Save it. I take care of myself," Mingyu let out offensively and entered the room.

"Oh really? How old are you anyway? Just turned 18?" the short grown guy angrily continued, but stepped aside in order not to block Mingyu's way in. "Still stronger than you," Mingyu gave back and went to the empty bed where he threw his bag on it. As he turned around, his new roommate frowned at him. "Watch your mouth and stay out of my way." That was the end of the welcoming for him as he left the room. Pao shook his head and followed him outside.

 _Nice. If everyone here is so kind, I am not surprised that Wonwoo wanted to leave after only two days. Wonwoo._ Mingyu looked at his watch. It was just before 8 o'clock, it was not yet time for bed and Mingyu had to find his friend. After he had changed his clothes, he stepped out of his cottage and got an overview of the area. It was mid September, but a cool wind blew and Mingyu pulled the hood of his sweater over his head. Outside it was almost completely dark and the area was lightened with some lanterns. He started strolling towards the dining room that Pao had shown him on the way to his accommodation. 

Two cadets were running towards him and Mingyu´s heart beat faster for a moment because each of them could be Wonwoo. He could have texted him, but Mingyu wanted to surprise his hyung. He hadn't written him when he would arrive. On his way to the dining room he noticed two figures from the corner of his eye, standing behind another cottage. The two cadets seemed to quarrel, at least Mingyu saw one of them pressing the other against the wall of the house. Mingyu shook his head and continued walking. 

Everyone here seemed to have gotten up with the wrong foot. Before he turned the corner, he suddenly heard a familiar voice and stopped. "Touch me again one more time and you won´t see the next day." _This can't be true._ "Otherwise what?" a different voice replied. Mingyu turned in the direction of the two guys who were quarrelling. He was too far away to recognize faces, but as he looked more closely at the figure of the cadet leaning against the wall of the house, his breath faltered.

"Hyung" he whispered.

"I touch you as often as I want, handsome. I told you that you have only me around here and you shouldn't ignore me." Mingyu took three cautious big steps forward to make sure it really was Wonwoo who was standing there as the latter distanced himself from the other cadet. "Fuck off."

 _Wonwoo._ It was indeed Wonwoo. When the bald cadet grabbed his hyung by the arm, Mingyu had enough. He ran towards them, slapped the arm of the cadet away angrily and stood right in front of Wonwoo with the front turned to the bald head. "Who the hell are you?" the latter asked in surprise and took a step back. Mingyu noticed that the guy was much older and clenched his hand to a fist. He lowered his hood and took a step closer to the older cadet.

"Leave him alone." Mingyu felt Wonwoo grabbing the hem of his sweater from behind. The bald man suddenly laughed. "I can't believe it." Mingyu didn't grimace and remained still in front of Wonwoo. "You're an idol as well." Mingyu was surprised that the guy recognized him immediately. "My goodness, this is getting better and better," he suddenly smirked at him and a shiver ran down his back. "I can't remember your name, but you're in this band too," the bald guy pointed his finger at Wonwoo. Before Mingyu could answer, his friend pulled him back, away from the older cadet. 

Mingyu turned around and cringed. Wonwoo was staring at him with an angry expression on his face. "What the fuck are you doing here?" He hissed at him and briefly peered at the bald head, which had backed away with a laugh. "I leave you two for the moment." 

"You have no idea where you come to," Wonwoo hissed again and nudged his finger into Mingyu's chest pretty hard. A little too hard. When Mingyu was about to respond, two cadets passed by and Wonwoo took a step back. He waited until they were gone and then pushed Mingyu away. "Just back off." Mingyu´s thoughts were going crazy. He had finally found Wonwoo. Wonwoo had been attacked by an elderly soldier. He just wanted to bring his friend close to himself and be happy, but Wonwoo was very mad at him. So he figured that it was not the time for cuddles. 

He took a deep breath and moved one step forward. "Don´t you dare getting closer. We don't know each other around here. I told you not to come," Wonwoo exclaimed emotionlessly and Mingyu closed his eyes for a moment. He knew that his friend didn't mean it like that. Wonwoo was only mad because he had really shown up. "What were you even thinking by coming here? Are you fucking crazy? You have no-" 

"I missed you," he interrupted him with a pout and Wonwoo´s eyes widened. "Shut up," he hissed and closed the distance between them. Mingyu smiled at him which made Wonwoo even angrier. "I am so happy to see you, hyung," he continued bluntly and Wonwoo leaned forward, glaring at his friend. "I told you to shut up!" Mingyu shook his head with a grin. Although Wonwoo was pretty pissed, he rather have him like that than not at all. 

"I've missed you so much. I have-" A soft expression popped up for a split second on Wonwoo´s face before he grumbled and placed his hand on Mingyu´s lips to silence him. "Are you crazy!? Stop it!" He seemed tense, his eyes wandering over Mingyu's features. "Do you know that your arrival only makes everything worse? For both of us," he continued enraged. Mingyu shook his head and Wonwoo dropped his hand. 

For a moment they stared at each other wordlessly. Mingyu noticed a small scar over Wonwoo 's right eye. He was about to reach out for it, but remained still. He didn't want his hyung to freak out completely. So he stood there silently and observed his friend. His hair was shorter and combed back. Although he had been there barely two months, he seemed more muscular than a few weeks ago at the airport. 

Wonwoo suddenly groaned. "You're fucking unbelievable," he muttered, nudging a finger against Mingu's forehead. Mingyu noticed that the anger was slowly fading.  
" Hyung."

"How could the others let you go?" He took a step back. "Hyung." Mingyu was about to reach for Wonwoo's hand when suddenly a shrill siren sounded. He was startled and covered his ears. A short smile flashed over Wonwoo's lips. "We all gather in the meeting room next," he explained in a cold tone and Mingyu nodded. "We're not going together," his hyung warned as Mingyu tried to grab his hand. He sulked. Wonwoo made the reunion really tougher than necessary.

"Hyung, but I don't know where the meeting room is." Wonwoo snorted. "First, don't call me hyung around here, and second, every building is signposted Mingyu, so learn to get along on your own," he hissed before turning away, leaving Mingyu behind. He sighed, but could not suppress another smile. He finally had Wonwoo back with him. He was sure that the anger his friend was experiencing would disappear sooner or later. He decided to do Wonwoo the favor and give him some time to calm down. _We'll see who gets clingy first hyung._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the Kudos. This story has still a long way to go, I hope you like it so far ~


	4. First task

_That idiot. What a fool! He really came. Are the members crazy? How could they let him go?_ Hundreds of thoughts were racing around in Wonwoo's head as he made his way to the meeting room. His heart was pounding like crazy. He hadn't expected Mingyu to show up for real and didn't believe he would be admitted -and certainly not to the same camp as he was. And when he had been pushed against the wall by T. and wanted to hit this annoying, perverted, bald man right in his ugly face, Mingyu suddenly burst right back into the middle of his military life. _Such an idiot._

When Wonwoo arrived in the meeting room, he sat down in the last row, which was still completely empty. Only a few seconds later Mingyu entered the building. A few cadets looked over at him and started whispering about the newcomer, maybe some of them recognising him. Mingyu always had a model appearance, he was noticeable -not only because of his height. Wonwoo sighed. 

When their eyes met briefly, he expected Mingyu to sit next to him. Surprisingly, his tall friend quickly looked away and sat two rows in front of him. _That came out of the blue._ Wonwoo cleared his throat and crossed his legs. _Well, that's good. Mingyu should keep a safe distance from me. Better for both of us_ Wonwoo tried to convince himself, but it felt strange that his friend didn't intend to sit next to him. 

Wonwoo inhaled deeply and stared at the back of Mingyu's head. He had missed him like crazy. When Mingyu had earlier stood in front of him to protect him from T., Wonwoo had to hold back strongly from hugging his tall friend from behind. But he was so furious that Mingyu had really come and he wanted him to feel it.

When one of the Sergeant´s stepped on the small stage and greeted the soldiers, Wonwoo tried to concentrate on his words. But his eyes kept wandering to Mingyu and Wonwoo grumbled. Of course, Mingyu had already found a friend and was leaning towards his blonde neighbor, with whom Wonwoo had never spoken before, whispering something into his ear. The cadet grinned in response and Wonwoo wondered if he was Mingyu´s room neighbor and felt a sting in his stomach. _Whatever. Who cares. Not me._

"And to swiftly bring you into such a serious mental state, we will divide you into four groups tomorrow. Each will have a different route with a driver and you will have to complete the tasks that your driver will explain to you tomorrow," the Seargeant explained. Wonwoo's eyes fell again on Mingyu, who was massaging his neck. Wonwoo rolled his eyes. He knew this gesture. Mingyu had no clue what was ahead of him and surely felt as insecure as fuck. From the corner of his eye Wonwoo noticed that T. was sitting on the bench next to him, winking at him. _God, just don't let me be in a team with that pervert._  

 

"I let a basket of chip cards pass around. Each of you pull one out. There are four different colors. Each color represents a team for tomorrow." Wonwoo almost twisted his neck by trying to spot which color Mingyu was pulling out, but without success. When it was his turn, he reached for a blue one and was tempted to look over at T., who was holding a red chip in his hand. Wonwoo breathed a sigh of relief and hid his chip in his fist, afraid that T. could see it and get the idea to trade with someone else to get in a team with him. 

Ten minutes later the cadets were released into the evening and Wonwoo buttoned his jacket as he stepped outside. A cold wind blew around his ears. As he tried to pull his hood over his head, his chip fell out of his hand and onto the dusty ground. Mingyu suddenly appeared next to him and bent down before he could do it himself. "We're on the same team," he said nonchalantly and put the chip in Wonwoo's hand. 

Wonwoo looked up at him and was greeted with a warm smile. _I hate you._ He put the chip in his pocket, ignored the warmth and familiarity he felt at the touch and finally pulled his hood over his head. "Maybe I should change with someone quickly," he replied coldly and began to move. Mingyu just followed him and Wonwoo heard him giggle. _What the fuck?_

He stopped and Mingyu collided with him. He turned around and stared at his friend. "What's so funny?" he asked Mingyu in disbelief. The puppy took a little breath and smirked. "It's funny to see how hard you try to give me the cold shoulder." Wonwoo glanced around to see if there were any other soldiers nearby. When the air was clear, he stepped one inch closer to Mingyu. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked, although he knew exactly what his tall friend meant. 

Mingyu also moved one step closer, playing with the chip in his hand. "Wonwoo, I know very well that you have to hold yourself back so that you don't throw yourself at me and cuddle me tightly." Wonwoos eyes widened and again he reassured himself that no cadet could hear Mingyu's words.  He snorted unbelievably. "You would like that." Mingyu nodded. "Yes." _Yes?_

"Mingyu", he grabbed his younger friend by the arm and pulled him away from the clearing. "Do you know where you have come to?" he went on. Mingyu shrugged his shoulders. "To a military camp?" Wonwoo closed his eyes for a moment and tried to stay calm. "Mingyu. This is not a game. If things go really bad, you could die or hurt yourself tomorrow on this tour because you have absolutely no idea how exhausting and dangerous it will be. Are you even aware of that?" He let go of Mingyu's arm and ran a hand through his hair. "You are the biggest most clumsy person I know. Even if we are in a field where there is not a single grenade, you will find one and step on it. God, you'll probably fall and get run over by the truck on the way to our first task tomorrow. You are not even-"

"Are you worried about me?" Mingyu interrupted his chatter and approached him even closer so that he could feel his puffy breath on his face. His heart beat faster. He wanted to hug his puppy like friend and it became harder and harder to hold himself back, especially when Minyu kept stepping into his personal space.

"That is not what this is about. You will put everyone else in danger," he answered, trying to ignore the warmth that was radiating from his friends body. Mingyu made a humming noise. "You are so naive. Do yourself a favor, pack your bag and get out of here. You volunteered. You are less than 24 hours here, they will classify you as mentally confused and let you fly home. You just tell them that you're still too young for all of this." _A great idea_ Wonwoo believed in this moment. Mingyu looked at him calmly, showing no emotion on his face.

"I really missed you, hyung." He suddenly leaned with his face right in front of him and Wonwoo stared directly into his friend's puppy eyes. Never before had he had to hold back so much to put his arms around Mingyu. "I-I told you not to call me that," he whispered because his friend was so close to his face.

"I know that you missed me too and that you are resisting everything you actually want to do right now," Mingyu continued determinedly. "I know you better than you know yourself, hyung. I can read every emotion in your eyes right now."

"And what do you think that i want to do right now?" Wonwoo asked annoyed before he even knew why he asked at all. Mingyu smirked. "No, no. I'll play your game, Hyung. You won't be able to maintain this act for more than two days," he said, grinning at him triumphantly. Wonwoo was angry and soft at the same time and wanted to slap Mingyu in the face and then cuddle him to death.

"I hate you." Mingyu leaned his face back again and giggled. "You are repeating yourself." Then he turned around and started walking. "See you in the truck tomorrow." He turned to Wonwoo for a second. "You don't have to worry. I take care of myself." It seemed that Mingyu wanted to play this game so bad. A game that would be lost by the one who would give in to the urge first and overwhelm the other with affection. _I will not lose this game._ But Wonwoo wasn't 100 percent sure. 

-

 _They're crazy._ It was 4 o'clock in the morning when Mingyu was ripped from his deepest sleep by a loud siren. He was used to getting up early by being an idol, but 4 o'clock was in the middle of the night and it was simply too early to be awake. Frustrated, he turned to the side and closed his ear with one hand until the siren stopped shrilling. His room neighbor was already on his feet and looked at him with a crooked glance. Mingyu's head was buzzing.

"Not that I care about you, newcomer, but if you don't get to the trucks in time, you can scrub the toilets for the next few days," he muttered as he went out and slammed the door firmly behind himself. Mingyu growled and threw the blanket away. _And all this for a Wonwoo who is totally pissed off and avoids me._ For a moment Mingyu hated himself for coming here. 

Less than ten minutes later he ran to the trucks and breathed a sigh of relief when the sergeant wasn't there yet. He had already done toilet cleaning often enough for Seventeen. In the middle of the crowd of soldiers, he spotted Wonwoo standing there with half open eyes. Mingyu smiled. Even after almost two months, his older friend hadn't got used to getting up so early. His hair stood in all directions and he tried to suppress a yawn. Mingyu noticed how he wrapped his arms tightly around his body and trembled slightly. Wonwoo froze very quickly and it didn't really help to get out of bed at 4 AM and be dragged into the cold September night. Mingyu had to hold himself back to not walk over to his friend and put a warm arm around him. Things he used to do automatically but Wonwoo didn't want that here and he had started the stupid game himself. He hated losing.

"Okay, a new day begins, I wish you all the luck you need. Red Group, Truck 1. Blue Group, Truck 2, Green Group, Truck 3 and Yellow Group, Truck 4," the sergeant of yesterday yelled and urged the group of tired soldiers to move.

Mingyu was the first to get in the truck and sat down, yawning. His room neighbor followed him, but settled down in a seat across of him. Mingyu dropped his head into his hands as someone sat next to him. He looked up briefly and his gaze met the eyes of his black-haired friend Wonwoo. Surprised but satisfied, Mingyu leaned back. He could hardly bear it without his presence any more. "Already missing me?" 

"I hate sitting in these trucks in the opposite direction, so don't delude yourself that I wanted to sit next to you," he whispered so that only Mingyu could hear him. Their thighs touched and Mingyu enjoyed the closeness of his hyung despite his harsh remark. Mingyu was a cuddly type of person and a fan of tons of body contact. He was happy about everything he could get right now. 8 other soldiers were sitting with them in the truck and no one really knew where they were heading or what their mission for today was. Mingyu closed his eyes. 

"Hold on," whispered Wonwoo after a few minutes of silence and before Mingyu could ask what he meant, the truck suddenly began to bounce. And by bouncing it meant that Mingyu was half yanked out of his seat. He clasped Wonwoo's arm automatically to hold on to as the truck hit a bumpy country road. Wonwoo tore his arm away and Mingyu sulked.

"What's your name, big guy?" Mingyu turned to the other side, where a slender soldier was sitting and staring at him with a wide gap between his teeth. "Kim Mingyu," he replied politely as the other soldiers turned their heads towards him as well. "How old are you?" The soldier asked, but didn´t really seem to be interested. Probably he just tried to kill time.

"21," Mingyu answered and the other let out a whistle through his tooth gap. "You still have a few more years left. Why did you volunteered now?" Wonwoo stirred next to Mingyu and he resisted the urge to turn his gaze to the answer of that question. "I had the feeling that now was a good time," he replied plainly and the soldier nodded in disbelief.

"But you look familiar," another soldier suddenly remarked and Mingyu shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. Before he could think of an answer, the truck stopped so suddenly that Mingyu was almost thrown out of his seat. "Get out," the driver shouted loudly. Mingyu jumped out and his eyes had to get used to the darkness. In front of the truck was a huge area of gravel, dirt and dusty bushes and trees which extended far to the back and became more and more hilly there. Mingyu spotted a sign with the words "Don't enter". _Is that supposed to scare me now?_ Mingyu rolled his eyes.

"Okay, this here," the driver of their truck, apparently named Mao, pointed to the deserted area, "is our newest and most popular training ground," he started explaining when all soldiers gathered around him. He laughed. "Training ground may not be the right word, gentlemen. Because everything that you can see or not see on this area is real. This sign here is not a fake." Mingyu rolled his eyes again. _Of course._ He got a punch in his side and when he looked to the left, Wonwoo stared at him angrily. He must have seen his eye rolls and Mingyu sulked. "Buzz kill."

"We've hidden 10 important things all over this terrain. Find them without hurting yourselves too much. Pay attention to each other, but don't put yourself in additional danger. That's your job for today."

"That's all?" Mingyu let out impulsively and regretted it immediately when Mao stood in front of him and stared intently. "Newbie. Hardly here and all this isn't exciting enough for you? How cockly of you." He grabbed Mingyu's arm and pulled him forward. "Additional task. Anyone who manages to carry this bear, who will definetely get injured, back to the truck later on will not have to do any kitchen duty for the next four weeks." Mingyu rolled his eyes again. He couldn't stand this show-off.

"How should I hurt myself?" Mao laughed out loud. "It's not about how you will get hurt, it's about the question of how fast it will happen." He let go of Mingyu's arm and gazed into the other questioning faces. "Each of you will get hurt sooner or later on this area. You have no idea what kind of things are lurking there for you. But that's what war is all about, right? You must learn how to continue to do your duty and protect each other even if you are hurt or wounded."

Mingyu took a look at Wonwoo, who was already staring at him. His look was meaningful and Mingyu grumbled. He was sure Mao just wanted to scare them. They would never send a group of young untrained soldiers to an area where there might have been grenades, traps and other dangerous things. 

"Each of you will get a bag with provisions and everything you need. Use it wisely. You'll be on this site for a while. When you hear the horn of the truck, you'll all come back, no matter how far you've come," Mao explained, handing each soldier a medium-sized shoulder bag. 

"It's not for fun being here, idiot. This is all serious," Mingyu heard his room neighbor say, who suddenly stood next to him, when the others spread around. "Did you know I had another roommate before you?" Mingyu looked at him in surprise. "He's in the hospital. He was released from the camp. Calf and tibia fractures and spinal cracks." Mingyu now turned to him with his whole body. "Why are you telling me this?" 

His room neighbor smiled. "He was like you. Young, naive. He thought this was all just for fun. Two weeks after his arrival we had been given a job, similar to today. A terrain, unclear and dangerous. He ran off like a madman, stepped on a hand grenade and the rest is history." Mingyu was shocked. "Hand grenade?" His room neighbor nodded. "The explosive power behind these in this area is usually not that powerful. They don't kill you and don't rip your leg off, but they hurt you and burn deep into your flesh, and that only if you're lucky."

"Everyone ready? Then serve your country, soldiers," Mao shouted all of a sudden and Mingyu stopped as if rooted when the first soldiers began to move. _Hand grenades? Hospital? Blasted legs? What am I doing here?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you are enjoying ~


	5. Trying not to die

Mingyu wanted to turn around, get back in the truck and wait until the others would return when his eyes fell on Wonwoo. His friend was standing in front of the sign, trying to attach the bag close to his body. Mingyu looked at his slim hyung from top to bottom and his heart became soft again. He walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "What do you want, Gyu?" Wonwoo asked him while he was still fumbling with the strap of his bag.

"I don't want you to go out there," Mingyu whispered and shocked himself at how shaky his voice suddenly sounded. That made Wonwoo glance up to him and Mingyu recognized a familiar, worried look. But it suddenly changed to confusion. "What are you talking about?" Mingyu swallowed and he felt a heavy load in his stomach area. "Hyung, you're going to get hurt out there. Your legs will be torn apart and-"

"Mingyu, what the hell are you talking about?" Wonwoo asked him in bewilderment, without scolding him for calling him hyung again. "If you're scared, get in the truck and tell the driver you're leaving the camp. That's very simple. You're here voluntarily." Mingyu snorted. Wonwoo was turning the words in his mouth and that made him angry. He took a step closer and stared into his friend's eyes.

"I want you to get in the truck and not set a foot on this area." Wonwoo raised his eyebrows and looked at him cluelessly. Before he could answer, Mao joined them. "If you're done flirting, it'd be good if you could get your ass up out there." Mingyu took a step back. "It's still way too dark. You can hardly see anything." Mao laughed. "Guess what time of day the most attacks happen, newbie."

When Wonwoo started moving, something stirred in Mingyu. In front of his inner eye he already imagined Wonwoo lying on the ground in four parts and that scared him so much that he didn't know how to deal with the thoughts. He hurried after his friend and grabbed the strap of his bag. "Hyung please." Wonwoo slowed down, but didn't stop moving. Mingyu kept his hand on the strap of Wonwoo's bag and stumbled after him. "I'm worried about you," he continued. 

At first it seemed that Wonwoo would just keep walking, but a few seconds later he stopped, turning around to face him. "You know what? Fuck you!" Mingyu was surprised by Wonwoo's reaction, released the strap of his back and stumbled a few steps away. Wonwoo had never attacked him so harshly before. His friend closed the distance and almost stuck his face into his. "You are such an incredibly stupid fool. I could pull my hair out because of you." He breathed heavily and Mingyu started biting on his lower lip. All the other soldiers were already further ahead and there was still no cry of pain to hear. 

"You came here. You don´t think at all and just act. Now you're standing here, wetting your pants and daring to say that you care about me?" Wonwoo's voice became louder and louder. "From the first moment I saw you here, you're stuck in my head, you idiot." He repeatedly poked his finger into Mingyu's chest while scolding him. "I wonder all the time if you are still alive or if your room neighbor has already killed you because you can be so annoying!" Another poke. "You've only been here one day and I've already imagined 100 scenarios of how you're going to die." Poke. 

Mingyu snorted. "But that's really a -" Wonwoo poked him again, this time harder. "Shut up. I'm not done yet," he said threatingly and Mingyu sulked. "I couldn't turn a blind eye the whole night because I was wondering how I'm gonna have to protect your clumsy ass today and not kill myself at the same time." Mingyu opened his mouth to answer, but closed it again when Wonwoo was still staring up at him angrily. It was still a bit dark, but Mingyu was sure he spotted a sad expression on Wonwoo's face. "Did you come here to wreck me completely?" Wonwoo suddelny whispered and Mingyu could no longer hold himself back. For two months he had waited to see Wonwoo again. For two months he had missed the closeness of his hyung. 

"Don't even think about it," Wonwoo whispered as he noticed Mingyu's soft facial expression. Mingyu ignored the remark and put a hand on Wonwoo's cheek. "Do you know that every day after you left I was restless?" Wonwoo visibly swallowed and reached for Mingyu´s hand to put it away. "I woke up almost every night because I had nightmares about you-you and how you get hurt and how-how you-" he stopped talking when a tear rolled out of Wonwoo's eye. _Fuck the game._ Mingyu leaned forward, placed a fleeting kiss on Wonwoo's forehead before wrapping his arms around his hyung very tight. When he felt Wonwoo´s body against him, his pulse slowed and he started to relax. It was as if he had his calm haven back. After a few seconds he felt Wonwoo´s arms around his waist while hiding his face in his chest. The fuzzy feeling that was spreading through his whole body at that moment made him forget everything around them.

"You lost the game." Wonwoo murmured into his chest. "We will both die here."

"Probably." Wonwoo tightened his arms around him when suddenly a shriek could be heard across the field. 

-

Wonwoo detached himself from Mingyu´s hug and turned around. He saw a small explosion a few feet away and shuddered. At the same time he noticed something like a small fireball approaching them quickly on the ground. A few seconds later, Wonwoo understood that it had to be a long fuse that would cause another detonation somewhere. He looked down and smudged with his foot on the ground and was shocked that the fuse was right next to his feet. Before he could even react, he felt Mingyu pushing him aside making them both collapse to the ground with his friend's heavyweight landing on top of him. 

Seconds later, a loud bang sounded, thank God further away than expected. After the first shock, Wonwoo felt that he was running out of air. "Yah, how about you get off me?" He breathed out in torture and pressed his hands against Mingyu's chest. His friend pushed off a bit, but still hunched over Wonwoo. "How about a thank you?" Wonwoo snorted.

"You throw us both to the ground without looking if there is a grenade under us. What should I thank you for? For being lucky?" Mingyu´s eyes narrowed and a smile fluttered over his lips. He pushed himself away completely and stood up. "You are welcome." Wonwoo finally could take a deep breath.

"Is everyone still alive?" Wonwoo heard one of the soldiers calling as he got up from the ground, brushing the dirt away from his butt. "We're fine," Mingyu called back, happier than necessary. Wonwoo grumbled. He was still angry that Mingyu was here. He had briefly softened by Mingyu´s words and his puppy eyes, but that didn't change the fact that he was still one hundred percent mad at his friend. But the hug had healed something in him. At least a little. The last weeks had become more and more unbearable. T. made his life here in the camp much harder and although, thank God, he hadn't done anything more than stare at Wonwoo, shower him with perverse remarks and always grabbing him rudely, Wonwoo was tired of having to be alert all the time. An exchange of his room neighbor was out of the question in the camp. In the war you couldn't choose your neighbours either, was the sergeant's plump answer when Wonwoo had dared to ask a week after his arrival. 

He sighed and looked up at Mingyu who was rummaging for something in his shoulder bag. "What are you looking for?" he asked and took a step towards him. "I am looking what's in here." Wonwoo nodded. He hadn't had the idea yet. _Clever_. "And is there anything useful in it?" Mingyu pulled out a flashlight and Wonwoo laughed. "Well, that could be useful in the dark, obviously." 

Mingyu continued digging and suddenly beamed. "Hyung. Look at that," Wonwoo moved closer, so that their shoulders touched. Mingyu pulled out a fruit bar and held it in front of Wonwoo's face. "Maybe we won't die after all," he let out laughing, and Wonwoo shook his head, suppressing a grin. "Let's move forward," he said and Mingyu looked at him suspiciously. "Together?" he asked with a teasing wink. Wonwoo gave him a death stare. "I'm still mad at you." 

Mingyu grinned. "But?" Wonwoo began to move. "No but." Mingyu lit the floor with the flashlight as they both started walking. "You missed me too, didn't you?" he asked, but Wonwoo remained silent. "I saw it again in your eyes, hyung," he teased again and Wonwoo groaned dramatically, receiving a push from his friend. "Just shut up and look for the essential things and please try not to kill us both by stepping on a grenade." 

Some time later, after finding one of the things they were looking for behind a dusty bush that was apparently a first-aid kit, they came across a soldier crouching on the ground behind a tree. Mingyu held his flashlight over the injured man's face and received some insulting words thrown at his head in response. "Are you all right?" he yelled and began to approach the soldier. Wonwoo grabbed him by the arm. "Yah, light the ground before you walk to him." Mingyu followed Wonwoo's instructions while leaning closer to him. "This is my room neighbor. But I forgot his name," he whispered. 

Wonwoo rolled his eyes and they crouched in front of the soldier. "What happened?" Mingyu asked and touched his shoulder. "I hurt myself when something exploded," said the man who was tortured in pain, holding an arm around his waist. Mingyu grabbed his a arm and tried to put it away to take a look at the wound. "What are you doing?" The soldier snapped at him and Mingyu retreated.

"We're trying to help you, dude. No reason to get bitchy," Wonwoo said, defending his friend. The soldier looked over to him and then back to Mingyu. "You can't help me anyway," he let out but moved his arm. Wonwoo had to look away for a moment because he immediately felt sick at the sight. Two huge splinters were stuck in the soldier's side and he was bleeding very bad.

"Well, maybe you're lucky we happened to find the first aid-kit here," Mingyu said calmly, giving Wonwoo the flashlight before putting his bag on the ground to open it. "Hyung, are you feeling sick?" he asked as he quickly shot a look to Wonwoo. 

"Hyung?" Mingyu's room neighbor tried to sit upright and stared at Wonwoo. "What are you two?" The latter ignored him, lighting up his face with the flashlight for a second. "Yah, what the hell!" Mingyu leaned closer to the soldier, reaching for one of the splinters. "What, what are you doing, man?" the soldier stuttered and Wonwoo had to turn away again when Mingyu pulled it out. The soldier let out a cry of hurt. "Fuck! Do you even know what you're doing?" He snapped at Mingyu again while the latter grabbed the soldier's hand, placing it on his wound. "Press on it," he replied calmly and the soldier looked at Wonwoo questioningly. 

"Don't puke now," Mingyu's room neighbor exclaimed as he saw Wonwoo's pale face. "I'm fine," the latter reassured when he received a worried look from Mingyu. Although he felt sick, he was amazed at how self-confident and competent Mingyu was in dealing with the situation. It was almost as if he was constantly pulling deep splinters out of people's skin. But Mingyu was always skilled with his hands. When his puppy-like friend pulled out the second splinter as well, he took the bandage out of the first-aid kit and began to bind the soldier's wound. The latter watched pain distorted, but a spark of relief flashed over his face. Wonwoo was filled with pride. When Mingyu was finished and put the bandages back in his bag, the soldier tried to get up.

"Newbie. That still doesn't mean I care about you, but you have something good with me," he said with a pain distorted face. Mingyu closed his bag and put it back on. "Don't mention it," he mumbled and Wonwoo also got up, still feeling uneasy. "I keep my word," the soldier replied to Mingyu and began to walk away. Mingyu took the flashlight from Wonwoo's hand and beamed it briefly into his face. "Stop it." Wonwoo snapped at him and raised his hand in front of his eyes. 

 "Are you all right?" Mingyu asked and Wonwoo shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe next we'll find something for nausea after you've seen too much blood," Mingyu joked and Wonwoo poked him into his cheek. "Funny. Just move." After walking side by side in a comfortable silence for a while, Wonwoo grabbed Mingyu's arm to get his attention. "That was pretty impressive over there," he let out and Mingyu smirked. "You may have saved his life. Who knows if anyone would have found him and helped him like you did and-" he stopped talking as Mingyu beamed broadly. "Forget it," Wonwoo said in a bored tone and started moving again. Mingyu put an arm around his shoulder and trotted beside him. "Awww hyung, you're proud of me."

"Shut up," Wonwoo replied, but did not do anything to move Mingyu's arm away.

"To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing. I just followed my instincts," Mingyu said after a few moments of silence. Wonwoo looked over to his friend. Although the sun hadn't risen yet, the horizon slowly became brighter and Wonwoo noticed a piece of dirt sticking to his cheek. He instinctively wiped it away with his fingers and turned his gaze away in embarrassment as Mingyu started grinning, showing his fangs. His arm around his shoulder forced him closer to his side. Wonwoo expected another teasing remark, but Mingyu remained silent. Minutes later, they actually found another object they were looking for, hanging from one of the bare trees. A rope. "Why do we need a rope on this property?" Wonwoo asked when he put it in his bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little cliffhanger.. Next chapter tomorrow ;)


	6. Trying not to die II

"We probably don't need a rope," Mingyu said nonchalantly and continued walking. Wonwoo was busy closing the zipper of his bag when he heard Mingyu stepping on something dangerous-sounding. There was a crackling noise and before he could react, his friend had already disappeared. Wonwoo blinked a few times before realising that Mingyu had stepped on a trap, falling into a hole.

"Are you fucking serious," Wonwoo let out while he rushed to the hole, kneeling at the opening. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that the pit wasn't too deep and Mingyu didn't seem hurt. He lit it up with his flashlight. "Gyu, are you alright?" Mingyu didn't answer at first, staring at something. "Gyu, I asked if you are alright?" Wonwoo called down again and Mingyu finally looked up.

"Yes, I guess," he called back absent-minded. "Luckily we have the rope, huh?" Wonwoo shouted in relief that his clumsy friend had not hurt himself as it seemed. Mingyu snorted and stood up while Wonwoo was already pulling the rope out of his bag.

"Hyung", he heard Mingyu calling. "Wait a second, I have to untie the rope first," Wonwoo called back without looking down at him. "Hyung!" Mingyu called even louder with a paniced undertone, attracting Wonwoo's attention. "What?" he shouted down, shining his flashlight on his tall friend at first and then to his left where Mingyu was staring at in horror. Wonwoo first thought he only imagined what he was seeing. In the corner, right next to his friend, was a corpse. He swallowed hard and the nausea spread again.

"Hyung please hurry," Mingyu whimpered and Wonwoo threw the rope down to him. His friend had climbed up in a few seconds and sat down on the ground next to Wonwoo after reaching the top. His breath went rapidly, his face pretty pale and he put one hand in front of his mouth. "Do you have to puke?" Wonwoo asked him alarmingly and put one hand on his shoulder, massaging at that spot lightly. Mingyu shook his head and stood up. Wonwoo noticed the frightening expression on his face. His eyes were wide open and his lower lip trembled. Wonwoo felt bad that Mingyu had seen the dead body so close and grabbed his hand. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly as Mingyu squeezed his hand tightly.

"Yes." Mingyu answered hesitant. Wonwoo grabbed his chin, turning his friend´s face towards him. "Look at me. Are you really alright?" Mingyu's eyes were full of tears. "Hyung, this guy wasn't much older than us. And he must have just fallen in and nobody was looking for him. Nobody helped him. He must have starved or frozen to death. He probably accidentally fell in like me and nobody noticed. Nobody was trying to find him. No one missed him." Mingyu began to babble, his eyes waving in horror over Wonwoo's face. "What if you had fallen in and I hadn't been there? Who would have taken care of you, hyung? Who would have noticed that you were missing?" Tears flowed down his cheeks and Wonwoo felt a sting in his heart. Mingyu was still such a baby and his heart clenched.

"Gyu," he whispered, but Mingyu shook his head. "You are angry that I came. And I hate it here, believe me. I arrived only yesterday and have already seen more blood than in the past 5 years and for the first time in my life I had a real corpse lying next to me. I hate it here as much as you do." Wonwoo had to hold back his own tears. He hated to see Mingyu cry. His heart hurt him to see his tall friend like that. He closed the distance, resting his forehead against his. "You are so important to me. I hate it so much here and I would love to leave this place immediately. But if I imagine something could happen to you and I'm not around to help you-then you're lying there in this hole and-"

"Gyu, you were the one who fell in there, remember?" Wonwoo whispered and leaned back with a little smirk, trying to losen the mood. Mingyu sulked while rubbing his eyes. "How can you heroically help a wounded soldier at one moment and cry your eyes out at the next? You're such a baby, Gyu," he continued, wiping over Mingyu´s wet cheek.

"Our fans would go crazy now if they could see us like this," Mingyu suddenly whispered and Wonwoo paused. Life as an idol seemed so far away. He felt like he was in another universe. Seventeen was something that didn't apply to him at that moment. Wonwoo stood on his toes and gave Mingyu a peck on his forehead. "Can you please say it once?" Wonwoo looked at him in surprise. "What?"

Mingyu sulked. "Since I've been here I just hear how angry you are at me and that you don't want to see me and that you don't like me and that I should shut up and-" Wonwoo smiled and took a step back, interrupting him. "Let's move forward and stay close to my side." Mingyu stomped his foot on the floor like a stubborn child. "Wonu please. I just want to hear something nice for once. I need it right now," he whined and pulled at his friend´s arm.

"You've got nice teeth," Wonwoo joked and Mingyu pulled him away from himself. "Why do you hate me so much?" he asked, sulking as Wonwoo stared at him. "Stupid, you have to learn to read between the lines," he replied as they continued moving while the sun began to rise. Mingyu sighed audibly. Wonwoo gave him a soft look. His friend was so pure. Wonwoo stopped and turned Mingyu by his shoulders so that he was facing him. "Listen, you big baby. I'll say it just once and never repeat it again." Mingyu nodded eagerly. 

Wonwoo rolled his eyes before getting serious. "Right now you are the most important person in my life. Every action, every thought somehow revolves around you. You have deeply rooted yourself in my heart with your puppy-like behavior and weeping. I feel really responsible for you and I want to protect you until I can't protect myself anymore." He paused. "I am still so angry that you were so stupid and came here, but I understand why you did this. You have a heart that is far too big. And I want to protect your heart, because you cannot do it on your own, idiot." 

Mingyu´s eyes widened. "I like you, you clumsy idiot. Remember it in your brain and never forget it. And never demand again that I say such ridiculous things to you." Mingyu looked nervous and Wonwoo was embarrassed. "Are you happy now?" 

"I love you so much, hyung." Wonwoo rolled his eyes and continued walking. "I hate you. Stop saying such things around here and stop calling me hyung. How often do i need to tell you that," he muttered while Mingyu trotted behind him. He suddenly felt two arms around his waist and resisted to smile. "Why are you so clingy?" he mumbled and Mingyu pressed him tighter into himself. 

"I'll never forget what you just said," he almost squealed and Wonwoo slapped his hands away. "Stop it. Do you want the others to think that we are a couple?" Mingyu snorted and walked next to Wonwoo again. "Since when do you care what others think?" Wonwoo looked at him and shook his head.

"Our members are right. There is still no label for what we are," he replied when they suddenly heard the horn from the truck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little shorter this time, because now i need to write the new chapter~   
> Thanks for the Kudos, like always :)


	7. Getting emotions in order

When they returned to the truck in one piece, Mingyu could not resist a nasty remark towards Mao. "It's only a matter of time how quickly I hurt myself or what did you say?" he asked mockingly as Mao looked at him from top to bottom. "And how fast was it?" he asked back and Mingyu frowned. "I didn't hurt myself?" he replied when suddenly Wonwoo was gasping next to him. 

"Gyu, your knee," he exclaimed and when Mingyu looked down at his leg, he only now noticed that his pants were torn around his knee and covered with blood. "You're bleeding so badly." Wonwoo kneeled down to take a closer look at his wound. 

"You didn't even notice?" Mao laughed while Mingyu grabbed Wonwoo´s shoulder to lift him up. "We've never had a guy like you before. You should check your knee out in the medical base. We don't want the new guy to get an infection or anything, do we?" Mingyu nodded in shame when Wonwoo shifted beside him, casting a worried look at his friend. "By the way, there's a dead man in a pit," Mingyu mumbled towards Mao before jumping into the truck, sulking. 

Wonwoo sat down next to him and Mingyu noticed how he kept looking at his knee. It didn't really hurt. The shock of the lifeless body had overwhelmed the pain. He still couldn't get the picture and the smell out. Wonwoo slightly bumped into him as the other soldiers slowly returned. "Does it hurt?" 

Mingyu shook his head and smiled at his hyung. "No." Wonwoo brought his hand forward to reach for his knee, but Mingyu grabbed his arm to stop him. "Don't." Wonwoo took his hand away again and sulked. _Wonwoo is sulking?_ "Don't play the tough guy. It definitely hurts like hell the way your knee looks. After all, you fell into a pit," Wonwoo replied, not caring about the fact that the other soldier could hear him.

Mingyu turned his head to his friend and grinned at him. On the way there he had ignored him at all costs, now he couldn't take his worried look away from him at all. "Watch out hyung. The others will notice that you like me," he teased silently and Wonwoo pinched him in the arm while the other soldiers got in and the truck started moving. Wonwoo opened his bag and took out the bandage. Mingyu grabbed it from his hand and wrapped it carelessly around his knee, receiving a hiss from Wonwoo. "Do it properly."

Mingyu´s room neighbor was sitting across from him. He looked pale, but he didn't seem to have hurt himself any further. "What happened to your knee?" he asked Mingyu as he watched him fumbling with the bandage. 

"A trap. How's your wound?" His room neighbor held up his thumb. "Could have been worse. Thanks again." Mingyu nodded and stretched himself. After the shock gave way, he noticed that some parts of his body were hurting from the fall. "Are you all right?" Wonwoo asked him as he noticed his pain-distorted face. "Everything is fine.“ 

"So, what are you two exactly?" Mingyu´s room neighbor looked from one to the other. He seemed seriously interested about their relation, no mocking in his voice. Unfortunately, the other soldiers had also heard the question and Mingyu and Wonwoo were suddenly the focus of their attention. "I am so sure that i have seen you somewhere before," said the soldier with the tooth gap again. 

"On TV." Another one murmured. "Are you a celebrity or something?" Mingyu closed his eyes for a moment. His knee started pounding and he got a headache. He didn't want to have this conversation right now. He leaned his head back. "You must mistake me for someone else." His room neighbor still stared at him. "And how do you both know each other then?“ 

"He is my friend.“ Mingyu was surprised by Wonwoo's answer and looked at him questioningly. "Then why don't you share a room with your friend?" he asked. "Because I'm already in a room with you,“ Mingyu replied dry.

Fortunately, the questions ended quickly, as everyone was tired after the task and quickly loose interest. Mingyu noticed that two other soldiers were also injured, but none seemed to have hurt themselves too much. Mingyu peered over at Wonwoo, who had closed his eyes and was about to nod off. His face was dusty and his hair completely messed up. Mingyu stopped himself from smiling. He had to hold back not to reach for Wonwoo´s hand, whose fingers looked pretty cold. Finally he had brought Wonwoo so far that he no longer ignored him. He wouldn't challenge his luck now by holding his hand infront of the others.

When they returned to the camp, Wonwoo accompanied Mingyu to the medical base because he had no idea where it was. "Thank you, hyung. You can go and take a shower now." They stopped in front of the entrance and Mingyu waved with one hand. "Don't you want me to accompany you?" Wonwoo asked surprised and ran a hand through his hair. Mingyu had to suppress a smile, but kept a serious face. "No. I think I can do it alone. I am a big boy you know?" Wonwoo nodded absently. "O-Okay. I thought you might want company? But then I will just-" 

Mingyu let out a long breath and grabbed Wonwoo´s arm. "Just say you want to come with me." Wonwoo blushed. "I just offered it to you. Nothing more". Mingyu shook his head, opened the door with his free hand and pulled Wonwoo inside. "Unbelievable," he murmured while an assistant of a doctor was already approaching them. 

"Finally a patient again," the older doctor's assistant joked and stopped in front of Mingyu. "I can see which one of you needs medical help." She had a warm smile that reminded Mingyu of his mother. _Don't cry now._ He missed his family and especially his mother a lot. "And you are?“ The doctor's assistant looked at Wonwoo. He cleared his throat. "He accompanies me because he is worried," Mingyu replied for him and the nice woman smiled. "Okay, then follow me." 

She walked them both into a treatment room and Mingyu felt a pinch in his arm. "Worrying about you? You practically pulled me inside the building," Wonwoo whispered close to his ear.

"The doctor will be here soon. You can sit on the stretcher or lie down. Whatever you want, sweetheart." Mingyu nodded and sat on it while the older woman left. 

Wonwoo was standing in the middle of the room, looking lost and Mingyu laughed at the sight. "Why are you laughing?" he asked him annoyed and Mingyu shook his head, starting to remove the bandage. He looked at his knee and his laughter faded. Somehow the wound didn't look that good. Wonwoo followed his gaze and came closer to him. "Mingyu, that already looks inflamed. How could you not notice that," he complained. 

Before Mingyu could make a stupid remark, the doctor stepped into the room. "So, how can I help a brave soldier?" the grey haired man asked and smiled at both of them. He took a closer look at Mingyu on the stretcher and his gaze immediately fell on his knee. "I see where the problem is. I cut your pants leg open so I can look at your knee better, okay? The pants are no longer wearable anyway." Mingyu nodded. Wonwoo stood next to him and supported himself with one hand on the stretcher.

"Hyung, maybe you should wait outside. Blood makes you nauseous, remember?" Mingyu teased while the doctor slit his trouser leg up to his knee. He froze when the cold scissors touched his wound. Wonwoo ignored him and watched the doctor as he examined Mingyu's knee more closely. "You have a knee concussion. This will swell in the next few days and cause pain but don´t worry about it. I'll give you something for it. Any other soreness?" 

Mingyu shrugged with his shoulders. "I fell into a pit, somehow it all hurts a little." The doctor nodded and Wonwoo poked him in the cheek. "Why didn't you say anything?" He hissed at him and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I think it's normal that everything hurts a little after a fall. If something will hurt more overnight, just come back to me tomorrow morning.“ The doctor touched a few spots on Mingyu's body and after nothing hurt too much, he applied an ointment on Mingyu's knee and bandaged it. After he gave him a painkiller, they both left the room.

They walked side by side in silence. "Your pants look funny like that, you should change them." It was lunchtime and Mingyu´s stomach was already growling. "Will you come to eat with me?" Wonwoo shook his head. "I'm not hungry. Change your pants first." As they went around the corner, T. came stumbling across them. 

Wonwoo stopped and rolled his eyes. Mingyu intuitively moved closer to him. "Oh, there you are. I've already missed your pretty faces," he stopped in front of them and winked. "I'm on my way to the canteen. Who would like to accompany me?“ Mingyu didn't bat an eyelid. "Oh, did you hurt yourself, newbie?" 

"Fuck off, T." Wonwoo hissed, walking past him and Mingyu followed his friend. "I'd rather do something else," he shouted after him and the blood in Mingyu's veins was boiling. 

To his surprise, Wonwoo accompanied him to the dining room. "I thought you weren't hungry," Mingyu said when he opened the door. "I'm not, but I have to keep an eye on T." Mingyu smiled. "Are you afraid he'll trade me for you?" Wonwoo pushed him forward and made him laugh. "I am afraid that you will seduce him with your cut open pants. "Hyung, just say you like me." Wonwoo pinched his arm and then went to the food buffet. _Ouch. That has to be enough as a confession of love for now._

T. was also standing at the buffet and Mingyu watched as he stared at Wonwoo over and over again. That made him angry. He squeezed himself next to Wonwoo and ignored the crooked look of another soldier he had shoved away at the same time. 

"What are you doing?" Wonwoo asked him and pushed him away slightly as Mingyu was sticking close to him. "I'm getting something to eat, hyung. Is that no longer allowed?“ Wonwoo looked at him angrily. "Don't call me that." Mingyu rolled his eyes and put two slices of dry bread on his plate. 

He followed Wonwoo and sat down next to him at a free table. T. kept giving his hyung promising looks and Wonwoo didn't seem to mind it at all. "He stares at you all the time." Wonwoo took a sip of his water and turned his head to Mingyu. "Nothing new." 

Mingyu dropped his hand flat on the table. "You can't just accept it. What does he do when you're both alone in the room?" Wonwoo took a bite of his bun. "Hopefully nothing while I sleep," he replied nonchalantly and Mingyu became angry. "I can't believe you don't care about that. The guy deserves a good beating and not what you do. You do just nothing about it." Wonwoo continued to eat in peace, not minding him.

Two more soldiers sat opposite them. Mingyu could not handle Wonwoo's silence and got up angrily, leaving the dining room. He rushed out and kicked the trash can on his way to the clearing, stopping when a hand grabbed his arm. "Gyu, what's the matter?"

He turned around to face Wonwoo and shook his hand off. "What's the matter? The motherfucker could ram you every night and you wouldn't know anything about it. He undresses you with his eyes and tosses lusting looks at you. What´s the fucking matter? I don´t know hyung, maybe you tell me!“ 

Wonwoo had taken his bun outside and took another bite. Mingyu snorted. "Can´t believe that you are standing here as if you don't give a shit and eat your bun in peace, even if you're not hungry at all, mind you." Wonwoo continued chewing and stared at him wordlessly. 

Mingyu gave up. "Do you know what? I don't give a shit anymore. If you don't give a shit, why should I? Do what you want," he was just about to turn away when Wonwoo grabbed his arm again. "Don't do that." Mingyu looked at him. "Don't stop worrying about me." 

Mingyu no longer understood him. What did Wonwoo actually want? "What do you want from me? You are making me crazy with your behavior.“ He let his arms dangle tiredly beside his body, starting to get frustrated. Wonwoo moved one step closer and Mingyu was surprised that his eyes got wet.

"Why-why are you crying?" His anger had suddenly vanished. "Wonwoo, don´t cry. I didn´t mean it when I said those-"

"I'm sorry, Gyu," he wiped over his eyes. "I have been alone here for two months and couldn't close my eyes at night because I didn't know what T. could do. I hardly ate anything because I hated it here, injured myself again and again during the exercises and was so lonely. I still don´t have any closer relationships around here because i don´t talk with anyone. At a certain point nothing interested me anymore. I have learned that the less emotions I show, the less painful it is to be here. And then you come and suddenly there's someone who takes care of me, who wants to be with me and who gives me a good feeling. And I-" he sobbed and let go of Mingyu's arm to run his hand through his hair.

Mingyu pushed his lower lip forward, sad that Wonwoo was so unhappy before he had come. "I'm sorry," Wonwoo exclaimed softly without looking at him. His half-eaten bun hung sadly in his hand and Mingyu´s heart broke at the sight. 

"Won. I am here now, you don´t have to be so sad anymore." Wonwoo shook his head and looked up at him. "I'm angry that you're here and at the same time I could cuddle you for coming because of me. Do you understand the dilemma I am in?" Mingyu came closer and smiled. "Wonwoo, you can't tell me this. I look at that as an invitation. And Vernon has forbidden me to cuddle you in front of the others.“ 

Wonwoo smiled. Mingyu was surprised that Wonwoo spoke so openly about his feelings. "I love you so much," Mingyu whispered, making Wonwoo blush. 

"I called you from here," he said all of a sudden when Mingyu grabbed his hand. "Huh?" Wonwoo pointed with his finger at the tree next to them. "This is where I called you when you said you were coming here." 

"Here's where you hit me when you called me so upset," Mingyu put a hand on his heart. Wonwoo smiled. "Can you please never ignore me again, hyung?“ Wonwoo nodded and nudged Mingyu's nose. "I've never ignored you Mingyu."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not satisfied with this chapter. It´s like a gap filler..sorry for that :<


	8. First attack

It had been three days since Mingyu had joined the camp. His knee got better and better -at least that's what he kept saying to Wonwoo. The training sessions became harder, but Wonwoo noticed that Mingyu was naturally fitter than others and quickly reached the same level as the other soldiers. T. was still annoying, but thank God, he did no more than throw stupid remarks and lustful looks at him. 

Wonwoo regularly tried to distance himself from Mingyu, but his puppy-like friend made it very difficult for him. Some of the soldiers had noticed that the two knew each other and he kept hearing crazy stories about them, from rumors that Mingyu would be a superstar and Wonwoo his biggest fan, up to various love stories. Wonwoo always kept an eye on Mingyu and was glad that they had not left the camp for the time being, so Mingyu could recover from his injuries. But that was just the calm before the storm.

It was the nexr Saturday when the soldiers had an afternoon off and Wonwoo was sitting on the couch in the common room reading a book. The TV was running in the background and two soldiers were playing at the billiard table. 

Mingyu had gone to the nearest village to buy sunglasses with his roommate, with whom he had become better acquainted since his first aid help. Mingyu already missed idol life and wanted to get the feeling at least a little back with fancy sunglasses. 

Wonwoo just turned the page when suddenly a siren rang through the whole camp. It wasn't the first time he heard one, but this time it sounded different and Wonwoo was shocked and closed his book. The other soldiers in the room panicked and ran out. They knew something he didn't know. Wonwoo stood up and hurried after them, completely unaware of what the siren meant. 

When he went outside, a group of soldiers stood around a sergeant he had never seen before. "They have attacked the village of Akagi, it is burning in flames and they are now on their way to the camp. This is not a drill. I know most of you aren't ready yet, but now it's getting serious." Wonwoo couldn't really understand what the sergeant was telling them because it sounded too surreal. 

"Go to Seargent Pao and get yourself some weapons and then head to the hideout. If we're lucky, they'll find an empty camp and just keep moving without attacking us." Wonwoo heard the words but still couldn't believe it was real and that he was right in the middle of it. "Akagi is about 30 minutes away from here. So hurry up. We don't have much time." _Akagi._ Why did the name of the village sound so familiar to him?

He took his cell phone out of his pocket and clicked on the last message from Mingyu. _We are now in Akagi, hyung. There is a really great eyewear store here. Shall I bring you something?_ He almost let his phone slip through his fingers in shock. _Mingyu._ His heart went crazy. He stopped breathing for a second when the first soldiers left to get the weapons. They had only learned to handle weapons twice before and Wonwoo didn't really want to use them, but his thoughts were circling only around his friend right now. The village had been attacked and was on fire and Mingyu was somewhere in the middle. 

Wonwoo felt sick and panicked. "Soldier", the sergeant put a heavy hand on his shoulder. "What are you waiting for?" Wonwoo nodded and rushed to Mao´s department. His heart was beating loudly as the gun and the cartridges were pressed into his hand. After that he just automatically followed after the others. The hiding place was underground. They wanted to give the impression that the military camp was empty. 

When it was Wonwoo's turn to go down the stairs, he stopped. He could not leave Mingyu alone. "What are you waiting for?" T asked him with his eyes wide open, standing suddenly behind him. It was the first time that there was no mockery or flirting behind his words. "Mingyu is not here yet." T.´s eyes got bigger and he shook his head. He grabbed Wonwoo's arm and pulled him with him. "No, no, no. Let go of me. I have to find Mingyu. He is in Akagi and-" T. stopped and turned around to face him. "Akagi? Then he is dead. Now come with me." _Dead?_

Wonwoo tried to release himself from his grip. "Let go of me," he yelled at him, but T., being stronger and more experienced than him, dragged him further into the hiding place. Wonwoo had no choice but to stagger after him down the stairs. Tears began to swell in his eyes. It was dark and he hit his toes at the stairs a few times while still struggling to get away from T. 

When they arrived downstairs, he had no choice but to kick his foot against his leg. "Yah, what the hell are you doing?" he hissed at him and let go of his arm, rubbing his sore leg. "Are you crazy? We have to hide. If they see you hanging around up there, they'll know we're all here somewhere!" Wonwoo shook his head. "But Mingyu-" 

T. laughed. "God, you two are really cute." He stopped laughing. "Wonwoo! If Mingyu is in that village, then he was either shot, stabbed or caught on fire already. So Mingyu is dead. Get that into your fucking head, the sooner the better. You have to think of yourself now!" Wonwoo got angry and pushed him away. "Shut the fuck up. He's not dead!"

"We close the lock in ten minutes," Wonwoo heard a soldier shouting. "Whatever. Do what you want, idiot." T. walked away from him. Wonwoo turned around and wanted to go back up the stairs as the sergeant approached him. "Wrong direction soldier." Wonwoo swallowed hard. "I forgot something." The sergeant looked at him unbelievably. "What? Your teddy bear? Keep walking!" 

It was an order and Wonwoo didn't know what to do. "There are still two soldiers outside," he said instead. "They have to see how they manage on their own. We must not put ourselves in danger because of two other guys." He put his hands on Wonwoo's shoulder and pushed him forward. „But what about taking care of each other?“ he mumbled but the seargent didn´t hear him.

Even more tears gushed out of his eyes and he had no choice but to go further into the hiding spot with the seargent close behind him. When they arrived at the secret chamber where most of the soldiers had already gathered, he sat down in the corner against the wall, hiding his face on his knees. _Mingyu_.

Wonwoo cried. Nobody paid attention to him anyway. He was to blame. If he hadn't called Mingyu, his friend wouldn't have come to the camp. And now Mingyu was out there somewhere in danger or even worse. He rubbed his eyes and sobbed. Had he known it would end like that, he would have treated Mingyu differently. He loved him so much and he had never really told or shown it to him. And if he did, then very grudgingly. He sobbed and rubbed his eyes again. 

"Five more minutes and we lock up. It doesn't matter if someone is still missing," the same soldier from earlier shouted again. Wonwoo had put his gun next to him on the ground. He didn't want to use it. If they will attack them, he would be killed anyway. And at the moment he didn't care. "Someone is still coming," another soldier shouted, but Wonwoo paid him no attention. He was already thinking about how to tell his members that he had abandoned Mingyu and had not taken care of his Dongsaeng. 

He cried again. The room became fuller and Wonwoo could no longer see the entrance door from his position on the ground. He flinched as the gate fell into the lock with a loud bang a few minutes later. "And now we stay here until the enemy hopefully dissapears.“ 

-

"Wonu? Where are you?" Wonwoo lifted his head off his knees. He couldn't see much in the room, but he could hear someone calling for him. Did he just imagine it? A few seconds later two soldiers, who were standing in front of him were pushed aside and Mingyu appeared out of nowhere. "Hyung," he beamed at him.

Wonwoo's jaw dropped down and he couldn't believe who was standing infront of him. "Here you are. There are so many soldiers in this chamber that I couldn't find you. I was afraid that you stayed in your room with headphones on, and that you didn't hear when-" He stopped talking when Wonwoo shot up and wrapped his arms around him tightly. 

Mingyu was so surprised that he staggered back a few steps . "Hyung, what-?" Wonwoo squeezed him so hard that his chest hurt, but he didn't care. "You idiot. When did you get in here?" he clung even tighter to him and Mingyu put his arms around his waist, rubbing his back soothingly. 

"Is everything alright?" He tried to detach himself from him, but Wonwoo clung even tighter to his friend. He didn't care what the soldiers thought of them. Mingyu was here with him and that was all that mattered.

Tears shot out of his eyes again and he cried into Mingus' neck. "Wonu hyung, look at me," Mingyu tried to detach himself from him again, but Wonwoo didn't let go. "I thought you were dead," he sobbed. 

"What? What are you talking about?" This time, with more force, he managed to push Wonwoo away, glancing into his eyes. Wonwoo rubbed over his wet cheeks. "They attacked the village where you went to buy your damn sunglasses." 

Mingyu smiled and took some golden sunglasses off his head. "Do you mean these babies? They are nice right?“ He paused when Wonwoo glared at him. „Hyung, we've been back for about an hour. I laid down in my room for a second afterwards and then the siren went off a few minutes later." Wonwoo glanced at the sunglasses in his hands and then back at his face. "I hate you." He turned away and returned to his original sitting place. Mingyu sat down next to him and grabbed his hand. "Sorry you were worried." 

"Worried? I died inside because I thought you were in the middle of the whole chaos.“ Mingyu interlaced their fingers and Wonwoo let it happen. At that moment Mingyu could have cuddled and kissed and do whatever he wanted with him and he just wouldn't have cared in front of the other soldiers. 

"I didn't know that you-" Wonwoo turned his head to him. "Couldn't you have just said you were back?" Mingyu sulked. "But hyung, you always say I should keep my distance." Wonwoo sighed and leaned his head against the cold wall. "Since when do you listen to what I say?" 

"I'm really sorry, Wonwoo. Had I known that you thought I was still in the village, I would have come to you immediately. But I didn't think about it." Wonwoo sighed and closed his eyes. Only now did his pulse slowly calm down again. "You never think, Mingyu."

Even with his eyes closed, he knew that his puppy was pouting. The other soldiers had all huddled on the floor, some were talking to each other, others tried to sleep and some seemed scared. Nobody paid any attention to them, not even T., whom Wonwoo couldn't see at all. 

After a few moments of silence, Wonwoo felt Mingyu shifting beside him. "Wonwoo, are you mad at me? It makes me sad that you had to cry because of me. I didn't want you to feel so much hurt because of-" Wonwoo let go of his hand and put it on his knee. "I love-" A loud bang echoed through the room and interrupted Wonwoo in the middle of the sentence. 

„They're trying to blow our gate. Get ready." Wonwoo's ears were half blocked by the loud bang, but he understood what the sergeant had yelled to them. Shocked, he reached for Mingyu's hand again as the first soldiers stood up and took their weapons. "Don't worry, I'll protect you." Mingyu took the weapon with his free hand and smiled encouragingly at him. "What do you mean, you're protecting me? If anyone here is protecting someone, then I am protecting you." Mingyu rolled his eyes and they both stood up.

Another bang echoed through the room and Mingyu pulled Wonwoo closer to himself. The door was blown open and then everything went very fast. Wonwoo heard shots and screams. Since they were standing with Mingyu at the other side, he could hardly see anything. He only noticed that Mingyu was pushing him behind himself to shield him with his body, and he didn't like that at all. 

Again it banged quite loudly and suddenly it clattered from above and the ceiling at the entrance collapsed completely. Not only did it bury the people who had been standing at that spot underneath it, but also blocked the entire exit. Nobody could get in and nobody could get out. Dirt and dust flew around in the air and Wonnwo squeezed his eyes shut and coughed. Mingyu had his hand on his waist and was still keeping him behind his body.

-

"The good news is that they can't hurt us anymore. The bad news is that we are locked up here and have lost a few soldiers," the sergeant shouted through the room as the dust settled and the view was clearer. Wonwoo leaned his body against Mingyu and felt his arm wrapping around his waist even more. "Are you all right?" he whispered in his ear, causing goose bumps on his neck. "You have shielded me. I should ask you that. And why do you think you could stand in front of me," Wonwoo scolded his friend, but didn't move an inch, enjoying the warmth. 

Some soldiers began to cry, some with shock, others with grief over the buried fallen men. "Is there no emergency exit here?" someone asked. "This is a hiding place. That was the only way out," the sergeant replied. Mingyu let go of Wonwoo and went further forward. Wonwoo followed him immediately. He would do shit and let his friend out of his sight again. "But there must be something. Every chamber and every room has a back door somewhere," Mingyu replied and stopped in front of the sergeant. 

"And you know that because you're an architect and you built this room?" Wonwoo raged that he talked to Mingyu like that and stepped next to his friend. "We're just trying to find a way out." The sergeant stared at him and then back at Mingyu. "Is that the teddy bear you forgot?" he asked him and completely surprised Wonwoo by the question. If they weren't in such a hopeless, difficult situation, he probably would have blushed by now. 

"The roof has collapsed. Is there no way to get up through a crack?" T. suddenly asked and stood next to Mingyu. His friend immediately froze and grabbed Wonwoo's arm to bring him closer to himself. The sergeant looked up and Wonwoo followed his gaze. "Maybe that's not a bad idea." There was a gap. It looked tight, but there was a gap through which one could possibly climb up. "Someone could climb through the hole and try to destroy more of the roof from above so that the hole gets bigger and we can all get out," T. suggested. 

"But none of us can get through," said Mingyu. Wonwoo looked up again and glanced at the sergeant who was already staring at him. "I could get through." Mingyu turned in his direction. "Forget it." The sergeant glanced at Wonwoo from bottom to top and nodded. "Yes, but you could really get through." Wonwoo pulled his sweater over his head and stood there only in a T-shirt. "Oh yes, he definitely would fit," said another soldier. 

"Shut the fuck up," Mingyu hissed at the other guy and grabbed Wonwoo's sweater. "Put that on again. You're not climbing anywhere. It's way too dangerous!" Mingyu radiated a dominant vibe and stared from Wonwoo at the sergeant and then back at T. " Forget it. What if he passes, gets stuck and then everything collapses with him?" 

"We have to take a risk," T. let out with a smile and Mingyu stepped up to him and grabbed him by the collar. "I'll knock your disgusting grin off your face." 

"Gyu!" Wonwoo reached for his arm and pulled him back. Mingyu trembled with anger and Wonwoo knew he had to calm him down. "Give us a moment. " Mingyu looked down at him. "What do we need a moment for? You're not going up there, period." 

Wonwoo nodded and pulled him to the back of the room. The others turned away and at least pretended not to listen. "Gyu", Wonwoo looked at Mingyu who had crossed his arms and stared angrily at T. "Mingyu! Look at me." He reached for his friends chin and turned it in his direction. "Listen to me for a second. We are locked in this chamber which is filled, I feel, with 100 other soldiers. The air is getting scarcer and scarcer and there is no exit." Wonwoo tried to convince Mingyu with a logical approach. 

But the latter shook his head already. "There is another solution." Wonwoo sighed. "Gyu. You know there's no other solution, and if there was someone else in the room as thin as me, you'd like the idea." Mingyu stared at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep reading :)


	9. Escaping

Mingyu raged. Wonwoo really stood in front of him, saying that it would be okay to squeeze his way up through a narrow hole in the roof, not thinking about what could happen. How could he allow his friend to do this at the risk of being crushed, injured or buried beneath? 

"Mingyu", Wonwoo put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. "We don´t have a choice. It's the only way we have to get out of here." Mingyu grabbed his hand and moved it away from his shoulder. "We haven't thought of other solutions at all." Wonwoo rolled his eyes. "I don't have to ask for your permission, you know." _That hurt._

"Then do what you want and see if I care." Mingyu turned around and stomped to the other side of the room where he leaned against the wall and folded his arms infront of his chest, sulking. He didn't pay any attention to Wonwoo anymore and stared at the ground, more than offended. 

"Well, now that we've sorted this out, let's start before the air to breathe gets even scarcer," he heard T. muttering and held back so as not to cast a nasty remark at him. 

"How do I get up there now?" Wonwoo asked, tucking his shirt in his pants. "I will help you," T. replied and already put his arm around his waist. This action caused the last string of patience to burst in Mingyu. He stomped over to both, grabbed T.'s arm and furiously removed it from Wonwoos waist. 

"Fuck off." Wonwoo turned to him in surprise, but before he could say anything, Mingyu squat down and stretched out his hands. "I'll give you a robber ladder," he said without looking at his friend. 

When Wonwoo didn't move, Mingyu glanced up at him. "What are you waiting for?" His hyung had an unreadable expression on his face. Wonwoo lifted his leg up slowly and put one foot on Mingyu´s hands. He put an arm around Mingyu's neck to support himself. "Thank you," he whispered before his tall friend pushed him upwards. 

For a moment Mingyu wanted to pull his hands down again and not let Wonwoo climb up, but it was too late for that. Wonwoo already had his fingers on the crack and was pulling himself up. Mingyu took his hands down and remained right under him. If he fell, he would catch him. A few lumps from the ceiling fell towards him as Wonwoo squeezed through the gap.

"Looks good," said T. and stood next to Mingyu. The latter growled, but did not let Wonwoo out of his sight. He breathed a sigh of relief when his friend made it to the top. "It's pitch dark here," he heard him calling from above and suddenly stuck his head out through the crack. "The roof collapsed quite unhandily. Everything is messed up here. I'm afraid if I try to knock off a small part, a lot more will come down from the ceiling than we want." 

"Just do it. We're standing against the wall. The whole ceiling won't fall down." The sergeant pushed the other soldiers to the back of the chamber. Mingyu heard Wonwoo croaking as he tried to loosen a part of the ceiling to make the hole bigger. He was nervous and afraid that too much would come loose and the floor under Wonwoo would be torn away. 

"Just," he breathed deeply, "just don't loosen the part of the ceiling you're standing on." He heard a faint hissing. "How stupid do you think I am?" Mingyu felt some looks of the other soldiers directed at him, but he ignored them. "Whatever," he mumbled and was embarrassed when the sergeant gave him a meaningful glance as well. 

After a few moments, another part of the ceiling crashed down, whichever way Wonwoo had managed that. The hole was now big enough and as the dust settled, Mingyu could see Wonwoo kneeling and looking down on them. 

"Well done, soldier," the sergeant pointed his thumb up and then looked around, "we'll help one by one." He looked up at Mingyu and he knew he had to help him lifting the other soldiers.

 

-

"It's your turn," Minguy said to the sergeant when only the two of them remained in the chamber. He looked at him in surprise. "And how do you get to the top, newcomer?“ Mingyu straightened up his body. "I'm tall and the ceiling isn't that high. I jump and then someone helps me from above." The sergeant nodded and it seemed that he only now noticed that Mingyu was almost two heads taller than him. 

Mingyu helped him up and had made it up by himself on his first attempt while his room neighbour pulled him on the surface. "Thanks Jin," he said, smiling to his good friend since last week. 

They were now in the old barn above the chamber and the sergeant signaled the soldiers to wait for him while he made sure the attackers were gone. Mingyu headed towards Wonwoo, who had leaned against the wall and was looking at his hands. Only now did Mingyu realize that he was bleeding.

"You're bleeding." He reached for Wonwoo's left hand to take a closer look. Wonwoo was startled because he didn't see him approaching. "Yah," he hissed and tried to tear his hand away, but Mingyu held it tight. "It's nothing. I scratched my skin a little as I tried to detach the loose parts of the ceiling.“ 

Mingyu nodded absently and continued to inspect his hand. "Aren't you angry with me anymore?" Only now did he gaze at Wonwoo and let go of him. "What do you mean? Angry because you climbed up here or that you insulted me?" Wonwoo clicked his tongue and was about to say something, but stopped when Mingyu approached closer to him. 

"I can never be mad at you for more than a minute, and that minute is long gone." Wonwoo grinned. "What did you want to tell me earlier?“ Wonwoo's smile disappeared. "What do you mean by that?“ 

Mingyu had the feeling that Wonwoo knew exactly what he meant. "Earlier, when the blast made the ceiling collapse. What did you want to say?“ Wonwoo blushed and looked to the side. "How should I know? Was certainly nothing important.“ Mingyu grinned and nudged Wonwoo´s nose with his finger. "Hm. I wonder if a confession of love is really that unimportant."

Wonwoo´s eyes widened. "What do you mean by confession of love? Yah, you are crazy." He pushed him away to create some distance between them. Mingyu grinned. "Well, I definitely heard ´I love-´." 

Wonwoo rolled his eyes. "I wanted to say that I love it, that I love, well, that I just love it when I'm here and-" Mingyu laughed when Wonwoo couldn't come up with an excuse. "Hyung, it's okay. You don't have to say it at all. I know either way. Even for many years by now." 

Wonwoo gave him a boring look. "What do you know?“ Mingyu grinned again. 

"Okay, the air is clear. They went on because they think we were killed by the collapsed roof." The sergeant called into the chamber and the soldiers advanced outside. Mingyu moved, but Wonwoo grabbed his arm. "What do you know?" he asked him again and Mingyu sighed and turned to him. "You love me." 

"Do I?" Mingyu was surprised at Wonwoo's serious facial expression. "Why did you really come here to the camp?" he asked, surprising him even more. "Hyung, we had already talked about this." Wonwoo shook his head. "No. Tell me why you came here?" Mingyu crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Because I wanted to see you." 

"Why did you want to see me?" 

"Because I missed you." 

"Why did you miss me?" 

"Because you are the most important person for me.“ 

"Why?“ Mingyu sighed and looked at his friend, slightly frustrated. He did not understand what Wonwoo wanted to achieve with the interrogation. "Because I love you." 

"And why do you love me?“ Mingyu came closer, reached for Wonwoo's hand and put it over his heart. "Because it feels good in here when you're with me. Hyung, what are all these questions about?“ 

"Earlier, when I thought you were dead, I regretted never telling you,“ Wonwoo murmured, glancing at his shoes.

"Telling me what?“ Mingyu let go of him and looked at his hyung with interest. "That I-, you know." 

Mingyu grumbled. "No, dude, I don't know. Why can't you just say it?" He got angry. Wonwoo sulked and Mingyu had the urge to kiss his pout away. _Okay, where did that come from?_ "I think I love you too." _Why do I want to kiss my hyung? What is wrong with me? Do I have a near-death experience?_

"Mingyu!" He was torn from his thoughts when Wonwoo pinched him in the arm. "Yah, what's wrong?“ 

"Did you just hear what I say?" He bend forward, giving him a kiss on his forehead, like he did back at the airport. "I love you." Mingyu heart was racing and he couldn´t resist the wide grin spreading on his face. "I knew it."

Wonwoo nudged him and wrappes his arm around his tall friend. "Let´s get out of here and try not die the next months."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Sorry, i know this chapter is soo bad...This will probably be the last one..somehow i lost the motivation to continue with this story :< sorry again


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